The AITHYRA Faculty is happy to welcome two Global Adjunct Principal Investigators.
Roser Vento-Tormo - Group Leader, Cellular Genomics, Wellcome Sanger Institute
Roser has a research focus on tissue biology and emergent features of tissues, immunology (fibrosis) and female health. At AITHYRA, Roser will have research collaborations with Xinyi Zhang and Alex Tong to develop and apply generative models for tissue biology, incorporating features such as 2D-to-3D inference, spatial perturbation prediction, and novel molecule design to induce targeted, tissue-level changes. Roser has received the Foulkes Foundation Academy of Medical Sciences Medal, the SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent Award, and recognition as a finalist for the 2023 Michelson Philanthropies & Science Prize for Immunology for her pioneering work in women's health, reproductive biology, and single-cell genomics.
More info about Roser Vento-Tormo
Yifat Merbl - Group Leader, Systems Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science
Yifat’s research focuses on epiProteome regulation, primarily in the context of cancer and immunity. Her laboratory advances translational research programs aimed at transforming fundamental discoveries into new therapeutic approaches. At AITHYRA, Yifat will partner with Georg Winter on exploring how anti-cancer drugs reshape proteasomal output. Yifat is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and competitive research grants, including the AACR Trailblazer Award, the CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Award, the Rappaport Prize for Excellence in Biomedical Research, and both ERC Starting and Consolidator Grants. Yifat is also a scientific co-founder of several biotechnology companies.
The AITHYRA Institute for Biomedical Artificial Intelligence of the OeAW, with financial support by the BIS, launched its Global Adjunct Principal Investigator (GAPI) Program to connect the world’s leading minds in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the life sciences to shape the future of data-driven biology and biomedicine. Global Adjunct PIs will receive a five-year appointment, typically supporting two PhD students who will spend a significant portion of their studies at AITHYRA in Vienna. In 2026 we have received 80+ applications from all over the world. We thank all participants of the GAPI call for their interest.
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